Gujarat Fairs

Gujarat is famous for its spirit of festivity. Fairs constitute the cultural heritage of Gujarat. Most of them are celebrated have strong historical or mythological background behind their existence. A number of fairs are celebrated exclusively by the tribal population. Therefore, through these fairs, one can get to know the customs and traditions of the tribal people of Gujarat. Infact, these fairs are a reflection of the states cultural diversity. The experience of witnessing these traditional extravaganzas so closely is definitely unique.

Tarnetar Mela
Tarnetar Mela is one of the most popular fairs of Gujarat. It is organized in a village called Tarnetar, situated at a distance of around 75 kilometers from Rajkot. It is an annual three day fair and is celebrated during the months of August-September and is also called the Trinetreshwar Mahadev Fair.

Chitra-Vichitra Mela
Chitra-Vichitra Mela is a purely tribal fair that takes place in the Gumbhakhari village, which falls under the Sabarkantha district. The village is located almost on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The venue of the fair is near a temple overlooking the rivers Sabarmati, Aakar and Vakar.

Shamlaji Melo
Shamlaji Melo takes place in a small town, Shamlaji, in Gujarat. The town is situated on the Delhi-Ahmedabad highway of India. Shamlaji Melo is also known as the Kartik Poornima fair, as it is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Kartik.

Bhavnath Mahadev Mela
Bhavnath Mahadev Mela is celebrated near the Bhavnath Mahadev Temple, situated at the foothills of Mount Girnar, in the Junagarh city of Gujarat. The fair takes place on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri. It is organized in the month of February and lasts for five days.